Reinventing Bella
by dangerkitty
Summary: Bella gets a chance to reinvent herself when she moves in with her dad in Forks. Rated M for lemons in later chapters. AU/AH. Eventually B&E, but first there will be some B&J. Poor Bella has a lot to learn.
1. Reinventing Bella

My life officially sucks. My flighty mother had finally flipped her lid and married her equally goofy boyfriend and I had been shipped off to Timbuktu. Well, not really, but Forks, Washington was just as foreign and disgusting. The few months I had spent here with my father when I was a child were filled with painful memories. This little Podunk town was under a constant cover of clouds and rain. On the rare occasion that the sun did shine, there was nothing to do here anyway. I had never heard such eerie silence in the middle of the day.

Tomorrow was the first day of my two year sentence here. I had to survive Junior and Senior year in continual dampness, then I was heading out to college someplace sunny. Like Florida. Or Hawaii. On the up side, I got the chance to reinvent myself. Back in Phoenix, I had lived in a bubble of sorts. I kept to myself and tried to blend in. These people had known me my entire life and it was hard to break out of my shell of self-doubt and insecurity. I was a walking cliché of the broody teenage girl. Now, however, I had the chance to be the person I felt inside.

***

When Renee had told me that I was going to live with my dad, I was outraged. I had rebelled and threatened to run away and other stupid things kids tell their parents in order to manipulate them into giving in. Renee was having none of it. So, last week I grudgingly helped her pack my room up into boxes and ship them off via FedEx to Forks. As we were going through my clothes, mom realized that the majority of my wardrobe would be completely insufficient for the climate I was moving to. She mumbled something about a shopping trip and left the room. When she returned, she had a shiny, black credit card in her hand.

"Bella, I was going to give this to you at the airport, but after looking at your clothes, I think you need to go ahead and break it in here. I'm sure Phoenix has a better shopping district than Port Angeles, anyway. It has a five thousand dollar limit on it, but I'm not paying for it. Charlie has already gotten you a job and a car, so you'll have to make the payments yourself. However, I think you are old enough for this kind of responsibility and you're going to need to get yourself a whole new wardrobe before you leave. Take the rest of the afternoon and go shopping. I'll finish packing and ship your stuff off to your dad."

She handed me the credit card and I stared in awe as the black awesomeness with my name engraved in silver letters. Maybe this move wouldn't be so bad after all if it meant that my parents thought I was old enough for a credit card.

"Mom, this is great! Thank you so much!" I hugged her tightly and quickly grabbed my purse and keys from my desk. "I'm leaving now!"

I was completely jazzed at the thought of buying a whole new wardrobe. I drove Renee's civic to the Metrocenter mall. My afternoon was a blissful experience. Instead of buying my typical denim and t-shirts, I looked for things that expressed the way I felt inside. I bought several dressed at Hot Topic that would illustrate my moody emo side. Then wandered around Dillard's looking for feminine and flirty. Aeropostale and American Eagle bags were included eventually. Then on to shoes and accessories. I had only ever owned one pair of dress shoes at a time. I LIVED in Nikes. It was hard to force myself out of that habit. In the end, I had bought more shoes than I had dresses. I imagined I'd end up wearing heels with my jeans just so I'd have a reason to wear them all. Who knew I had it in me to be such a shoe whore?

***

For my first day at Forks High, I decided that I would bring on the attitude. I knew that if I went in there with something pink and frilly on the first day, that it would give the impression that I was a sweet little thing. And I could be, but that wasn't the way I wanted to be seen. I wanted to go in, guns blazing and dare anybody to screw with me. I had lived in the shadows for much too long, been the butt of too many jokes. I was done with that and from here on out I was going to be ballsy Bella.

I searched through my closet and found the perfect outfit. It was actually the very first purchase I had made on my brand new credit card. It was a black and white plaid corset dress. It had spaghetti straps, a short skirt, and a tight corset tie up the front. I paired it with a tight baby tee, fish net stockings and motorcycle boots. Satisfied with my selection, I jumped in the shower hoping the warm water would help relieve some of the stress of the first-day-of-school jitters that were getting to me. I couldn't be a nervous wreck and pull off the attitude, so I wrangled myself under control.

My long brunette hair took ages to dry, but today I felt it was worth the effort. I admired the shiny locks, curling loosely down my back when I finally switched off my blow dryer. After getting dressed and applying dark eye shadow and liner to give myself a mysterious bitch look, I decided that the long flowing hair didn't go with the look. I ended up pulling my hair up in dog ear ponytails. Proud of my attempts to look the rebel part, I grabbed my backpack and headed down the stairs.

Charlie had left for work about an hour ago, so the house was quiet as I locked the door behind me. There, in the driveway, was my very own transportation. When Renee had told me Charlie had gotten me a car, I imagined something along the lines of a Ford Escort. Something safe and small and inconspicuous. When we pulled up in the driveway of my new home on Friday, I was shocked to see a shiny black and chrome motorcycle sitting there.

"What's with the bike, Dad? I thought you said you were never gonna sell your Harley?" Charlie, Dad as he insisted I call him, had owned a 1980 Harley Davidson EIectra Glide my entire life. The one high point of my visits with him was our leisurely rides on his bike. He had taught me to ride last year when I got my license.

"I got it for you, Bells, but I don't want you driving it in the rain. Only on sunny days. You're not good enough with it yet to handle on wet pavement. Other days, you can drive my truck to school and work."

I was in speechless that my overprotective father would buy me a motorcycle. But I wasn't about to argue with him. When I stepped out the front door on my first day of school, I was ecstatic that the sun was shining brightly. Me and my bike would make the perfect entrance. I grabbed the shiny helmet and leather riding jacket from the hook inside the garage, and stepped on the machine. When it rumbled to life, I felt like nothing could ruin this day for me. I stuffed my pony tails up into the helmet and pulled the guard down over my face. The feel of such a powerful force between my legs made it seem like I could conquer the world. Look out Forks, here comes Bella.

The drive to the high school was much too short for my liking. I would have preferred to spend some more time riding, but it was time to face the music. I pulled into the parking lot, and angled my bike into a spot near the front of the lot. To the right of me was a shiny, silver Volvo and the most delicious looking boy I had ever laid eyes on leaning against the hood, cigarette in hand. Some skanky looking blond was wrapped around him, all but dry humping him in the parking lot. Disgusting, but I could see her point. He was tall and lean, dressed in a tight black t-shirt and dark jeans. I couldn't see his face from where I sat on my bike, but the broad expanse of his back and the way his shirt clung to his shoulders was almost enough to make my mouth water. And that hair. He had the most scrumptious sex-hair I had ever seen. The dark copper color glinted in the sunlight and as I stared he ran his long fingers through it, managing to make it even more sexy.

I stepped off my bike and took my helmet off, shaking my hair out from the mass of tangles that I knew were threatening from being smashed into such a confined space. I propped it under my arm and headed up the sidewalk to the building marked 'Office'. I passed a couple of boys on my way in, and they both whistled at me. In typical Bella fashion, I blushed, but instead of acknowledging them, I just kept walking. Blushing did not go well with rebel attitude.

I spoke with Mrs. Cope, the secretary, and she handed me my schedule and gave me a map of the campus. When I left the office, there was a blonde Adonis propped against the wall beside the door, one foot resting on the wall, his knee bent. All he needed was a cowboy hat tipped low on his head and he could've been in a Marlboro ad.

"Hey, gorgeous." He looked at me and grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. His deep Southern accent had a strange effect on my ability to speak, so I just flashed him my most charming smile. He pushed himself off the wall and took a step toward me, extending his hand. "I'm Jasper. Who might you be?"

"Nice to meet you, Jasper. I'm Bella." I held my hand out for him to shake, but instead he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the top of each knuckle. His attention made me bold and reinforced my determination to saw what was on my mind instead of being the blushing rose I was accustomed to. "Love the accent. I bet you have panties falling wherever you go." It was a statement more than a question.

"Oh, I don't know about _everywhere_." He pointedly looked down at my feet. "I don't see your panties laying around anywhere."

"Maybe I'm not wearing any." I smiled at him again and he dropped my hand in shock. I could feel him still staring at me as I walked away so I glanced over my shoulder and winked at him for good measure.

By the end of third period, I knew that I had definitely made an impression. I could hear whispers whenever I walked down the hall and I had caught more than a handful of horny teenage boys ogling my goods. I was the shiznit. When I entered the lunchroom after my third class, my insecurities came back briefly. I hated eating alone. Nothing said loser more than a person forced to eat in a corner by themselves. I was scanning the room, trying to find Angela, a girl I'd met in English. She had seemed nice enough and I thought she might let me sit with her. In the midst of my survey, I felt a pair of strong hands come to rest on my waist and warm breath on my neck. I was ready to turn and pummel whoever this asshole was, but then he spoke.

"Hello, again, beautiful." There couldn't be more than one sexy Southern accent in Forks High, could there? I turned and looked into Jasper's baby blues.

"Hello, yourself." He still had his hands on my waist, but I felt them slide slowly down so they were resting on my hips. Even if I was being Bold Ballsy Bella, I wasn't about to let him grope me in the middle of the cafeteria. "Even if you are adorable with your sexy accent and those blue eyes, keep your hands off the good till invited, got it?" I grinned at him to show him I wasn't mad.

"Sure thing, sugar. I'll be waiting on my invitation." He winked at me and I could feel the blush rising. I tried to fight it, but I knew it was of no use, so I just turned on my heel and headed to the food line. I felt Jasper fall in line behind me as I reached for a sandwich.

"Wanna sit with me? I remember well how awkward it is the first day at a new school."

"I'd like that, cowboy. Thanks." I grabbed a bag of chips and a Diet Coke and paid for my food, then waited on Jasper to finish. He started walking toward the back of the room, to a table of what could only be described as the pretty people of Forks High. There was a big burly guy with dark hair and dimples, a blonde Barbie doll, and a little black-haired pixie who reminded me of Tinkerbell. And the bronze-haired god that had me swooning in the parking lot this morning.

As we walked over, Jasper was beaming. He slid into a seat and patted the space next to him indicating I should sit beside him. "Hey, biotches! This scrumptiousness is Bella. Hands off, boys, she said no touching." He winked at me. "Bella, this is munchkin is Alice," he pointed to Tinkerbell, "this is Rosalie," to Barbie, "Emmett", to brawny, "and Edward", god in denim.

"Hey, guys. Good to meet you." I smiled my best smile at them. We spent the lunch hour talking like we were old friends. Jasper made a point of telling embarrassing stories about both Emmett and Edward, which in turn got him told on. Alice and Rosalie mentioned an upcoming shopping trip and invited me along. We discussed the ins and outs of mall versus boutique shopping and annoyed the boys with our fashion critique of the many skanks that were staring at them. As lunch was drawing to an end, I felt Jasper had put his hand on my thigh under the table, and run his thumb along the top of my stockings. I slapped him hard on the back of the head.

"Oww, Bella." He looked like a pouty toddler.

"I told you, hands off the goods, bud, until invited." I looked at Alice and asked "Did you hear me say 'Jasper, would you please grope me in the lunchroom?'"

Alice giggled at me, but replied with a straight face. "No, Bella. I didn't. I'm sure I would have noticed."

Emmett and Edward were absolutely cackling with laughter and Jasper was trying to look hurt. "Sorry, cowboy. You'll know when you've been invited."

***


	2. Cowboy

I walked into Biology after lunch and took a seat at the only empty table. Mike Newton was sitting in front of me – I had met him in Algebra earlier. He was your typical preppy, in-crowd type. He was cute, in a boyish way and seemed sweet enough, but sweet didn't go with new Ballsy Bella, so I was trying to discourage his obvious interest.

"Bella, I know you're new to Forks. Why don't you let me show you around? We could even drive into Port Angeles and I can show you the best place to get mushroom ravioli outside of Italy." He was leaning over the chair in front of me, trying to be sexy, I guess, but was coming off rather annoying.

"Thanks for the offer, but Alice and Rosalie are taking me shopping in Port Angeles this weekend. I'm sure they'll show me all the hot spots in the area." I hoped he'd get the point.

I heard the chair beside me slide across the tile with a screech and looked to see Edward Cullen sitting down beside me. He looked absolutely edible.

"Hey, Bella." He grinned a lopsided grin at me and leaned closer to whisper a little too loudly in my ear. "Newton here is a douche. And I've seen him in the locker room after gym. Not very impressive."

I could see that Mike had heard every word of his comment. His jaw clenched and his brow furrowed as his face became an alarming shade of purple. "Fuck off, Cullen." He turned around abruptly in his seat, but I could tell by his posture that Edward had gotten to him.

"That was mean, dontcha think?" Edward was still just centimeters from my face as I turned to look at him. His beautiful green eyes were looking deep into mine and I felt like all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. I tried to look away from him, but he was so close that he filled my entire field of vision. My eyes travelled down his face, taking in the straight ridge of his nose, the hint of scruff on his jaw and finally came to rest on his lips. They were full and pink and I wanted so badly to just lean over and lick him.

"Like I said, he's a douche. Besides, I think it's below you to be hit on by simple boys. You deserve a real man." He lowered his voice as he said the last part and I felt goose bumps cover my arms as the sound of his voice.

"I suppose you think you're the man for the job?" I was trying so hard not to let him get to me. He was breathtaking, but I also had a feeling he was a slut. After all, I'd witnessed him pawing some random chick in the parking lot just a few hours ago. "What about blondie that was grinding on you this morning? What would she think about you hitting on me?"

"Eh, she was just a distraction till something better came along. I got needs, you know, and Lauren gives good head."

"Eww. TMI, Slutward. I'm not one for sloppy seconds. Keep that shit to yourself, bucko." Even if he was the hottest piece of sex on two legs that I'd ever seen in my life, if he thought advertising his sexcapades was going to impress me, he was wrong.

"Aww, honey, don't be like that. I'll be sure to sanitize my cock before I let you lick it."

"You are such an ass. As if." At that moment, Mr. Banner walked in and called class to order. As luck would have it, we were assigned the seats we were in for the rest of the year. I was stuck with Edward and his arrogant attitude whether I liked it or not. Luckily, being the first day of class we managed to get out early, having received our dilapidated textbooks and syllabus.

I was ready to get away from Edward. He looked too good, and smelled too good for _my _own good. As much as I would have liked to lick him from head to toe, Slutward was just not gonna cut it. He'd have to clean up his act before Ballsy Bella gave him a second chance.

Jasper was waiting for me outside of the classroom. "Hey, sexy. You have gym next, right? I have to meet with the baseball team in the gym for a bit, so I figured I could show you the way. Let's walk." He held his elbow out toward me indicating that I should grab on. I looped my arm through his and we headed toward the far end of the building. When we reached the gym, Jasper bowed dramatically at me. "See you in a bit, little lady." I rolled my eyes at his dramatics.

I was eternally grateful when gym was over. We were given strict requirements for dressing out and told that we were expected to perform a variety of activities over the course of the year, designed to test and strengthen our growing bodies. Some of which involved flying balls. Like tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer. The list went on and on. And I got more and more depressed. Me and flying balls were a bad combination. As I was leaving the gym I was trying to figure out a way to get a doctor's excuse so that I didn't have to participate in anything other than running laps.

Again, Jasper was waiting for me. "Got any exciting plans for after school?" Since it was the first day of school, we weren't required to go to study hall so classes were finished. I really wasn't looking forward to spending the afternoon bored out of my mind at home, so I was thrilled that Jasper might provide some distraction.

"Not unless you consider lying on a blanket in the backyard exciting."

"Hmm. It could be. What would you be wearing on said blanket?"

"Has anybody ever told you that you are a horny pervert, cowboy?" I tried to give him my best serious expression, but I couldn't hold it. He was too cute and he knew it.

"I can't help it. It's your fault for walking around here looking so delectible. So, instead of lying on a blanket, how about I show you around the big town of Forks? We'll probably end up back at my place and you and me can get busy in the hot tub." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me.

"I hear ya. If you can keep your hands to yourself, I'll take you up on that offer. Sans the hot tub business."

"Alright. I guess I'm gonna have to charm you for a while longer. Come on, chicka." He put his arm around my waist and turned me toward the parking lot.

"I have to run to my locker. I'll meet you out there." I walked down the hallway that led to my locker to retrieve my helmet. I dumped my books in the ratty old locker, and then swung my backpack onto my shoulders. When I got to the parking lot, Jasper and Edward were leaning on Edward's Volvo, both with cigarettes in their hand, looking like something out of a magazine. If I had known such yummy eye candy existed in this little hole in the wall town, I would have volunteered to move here a long time ago.

"What's up, boys?" I tried to put on my sexiest walk, swinging my hips wide, as I went to join them.

"What's with the helmet, Bella?" Edward looked at me with strange curiosity.

"Safety first, Slutward. Can't have my pretty face scratched if I wreck my bike, now can I?" I swung my leg over the seat of my bike with exaggerate motion and set the helmet on the tank between my legs. Edward looked like he was about to bust a vein in his head and Jasper looked like he was about blow his wad right there in his pants.

"That's yours? Well, I certainly wouldn't have pegged you for a biker chick, Bella. You seem more like a Mustang type of girl."

"Shows what you know, Slutward." He grimaced every time I used the nickname I'd given him. Dick. I looked over at Jasper and smiled sweetly. "So, Jazzy, how bout you follow me home so I can drop my bike off? Then you can have your way with me." I winked at him and pulled my helmet down on my head, then roared the bike to life. Jasper climbed into a red Corvette parked beside Edward's Volvo and was behind me by the time I pulled out of the parking lot.

On the drive back to my house I was very conscious of the fact that every time the wind blew across me, my skirt would flip up a little. I didn't know how much of a show Jasper was getting, but I was sure that whatever it was I would probably hear about it. Thankfully, the bike made up for my lack of self-confidence. It gave me an assurance in my sexuality that I'd never had before. I was still fighting the insecurities while trying to flirt with Edward and Jasper, but it felt liberating to let that side of myself come out without having to worry about fitting into some predetermined shell that had been assigned to me as a little girl. My shyness was going to take a while to get over, but I was determined.

I pulled up in the driveway and parked my bike where Charlie had left it. I walked over to the driver's side of Jasper's car and he rolled the window down. "I need to drop off my stuff and leave my dad a note. Wanna come in for a minute?"

"Sure. You gonna show me to your room?" He looked suggestively at me. I graced him with another eye roll.

Without waiting for him, I turned and walked up the steps to the porch and unlocked the door. I found a notepad and pen in the kitchen by the phone and left a message for Charlie that I was with Jasper and gave him my cell phone number again. I knew he had it, but knowing Charlie he'd never remember where he put it if he got to looking for it. Then, I headed up to my room to drop off my bag and grab a purse for my wallet and keys. Jasper had been leaning against the wall by the stairs and he followed me up to my room.

"Wow. This is so not how I pictured your room. I figured it would be all black and red and dungeonish." My bedroom had changed very little over the years. It was still a pale yellow with lacy curtains. My double bed had a light blue comforter on it and with the sun shining in my window, it looked light and airy.

"Sorry to disappoint you, cowboy. I'm much deeper than you give me credit for." I nudged his shoulder playfully with my finger. "So what exactly are we doing? If we're going mountain climbing or anything of that sort, I need to go change." I had no idea what he had in mind, but if it was going to involve more than sitting on my butt for the majority of the afternoon and evening, I wanted to put some jeans on.

"You don't need to change. Dresses make for much easier access."

"Jasper Whitlock! You will not be getting in my panties today, so stop trying so hard!" I put my hands on my hips and tried to look stern, but he just laughed at me.

"I guess we'll just have to wait until tomorrow, then. Be sure and wear a dress to school again. I'll find us an empty janitor's closet." He winked at me and I just rolled my eyes. I grabbed my purse and stuffed it with the necessities and started to walk past him out the door, when he seized me by the waist and pulled me hard against his lanky frame. When I looked at him, his eyes were filled with lust and it was having an interesting effect of my body. I could feel a tingly sensation between my legs and I knew if I didn't get out of there soon and put some space between us, there was a very real chance that Jasper would be getting into my panties today.

"What did I tell you about not touching the goods? Hands off, cowboy." I grabbed his hands and pulled them away from my body, making a show of returning them to his sides. I walked out of the room and stomped down the stairs. He was right behind me by the time I reached the front door and he leaned against it preventing my escape.

"You are such a cock tease, you know that? Do you know that it was all I could do to watch the road instead of your scrumptious little ass on the drive over here? Every time the wind would blow I'd get a glimpse of your panties. It was extremely distracting. Just the thought of seeing them again is making it very hard to keep my hands to myself. All I want to do is see them up close. Is that so much to ask?" His voice was deep and husky as he murmured these words to me. That tingly feeling was getting all too familiar.

"I can't help it if you are a perv. Now let me by or I'll just stay home and be bored by myself instead of gracing you with my presence." I gave him my best bitch stare.

That was enough of an incentive that he moved out of the way and let me leave the house. I closed and locked the door behind me and followed him to the car. I was pleasantly surprised when he went around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for me. "Who says chivalry is dead, right?"

He chuckled as he closed the door behind me and went around the car, getting in the driver's seat. "It wasn't chivalrous. I was just hoping I'd get to see your panties again." He winked at me and this time I blushed. That wasn't what I was expecting.

"You'll pay for that remark, Whitlock. Now where are you taking me?"

"I'm gonna show you the big town of Forks, then take you back to my place, like I said."

I looked suspiciously at him. "Is this another attempt to seduce me? I'm not giving in that easily, you know. You are not as charming as you seem to think you are."

"Don't worry, beautiful. It's a thing we do. Edward, Emmett, Alice, Rosalie and I usually hang out for a while after school. Not every day, but more often than not. We meet at somebody's house and just chill. Our folks have been friends since we were little and we like one big family."

"That's not gonna be awkward for me at all, huh? I barely know you guys! When do you do homework and study and stuff if you're always together?"

"If you haven't noticed, Forks High School isn't exactly a big school. We mostly have the same classes so we study together. And it won't be awkward. The guys have taken to you already. Alice was absolutely giddy about you going shopping with them."

"So tell me about Slutward. Is he really as bad as he comes across."

"I love that name you gave him, by the way. And yes, he is as bad as he seems. I think he has slept with every decent girl here, and some that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. But that's just Edward. He's been like that since he hit puberty and nobody expects anything different from him."

"When you say everybody, does that include Alice and Rosalie?"

"Rosalie, yes. Alice, no. Alice says that high school boys are beneath her." He shrugged his shoulders. "Rosalie was his first; but they are just friends now. It's really weird to watch them together knowing that. They act more like siblings now."

"What about Emmett? And you, for that matter. Are you as big of a slut as you seem?" I was curious because as much of a flirt as he was, I got the impression that Jasper wasn't nearly as promiscuous as Edward.

"Emmett is a big teddy bear, but don't you dare tell him that I said that or he'll kick my ass! He is as loyal a friend as you can ask for. And as much as he has girls falling all over him, he doesn't sleep around. The only time I know of that he's had a one night stand it was because he was drunk after his dad's funeral. Can't really blame a guy for that." He smiled at me and looked like he was finished explaining.

"And?" I questioned. He hadn't said a thing about himself.

"And what?" He tried to look innocent, but it wasn't working.

"And what about you? Are you a manwhore, Jasper Whitlock? Because if I ever let you get your hands on my panties, I need to know where they've been first."

He had a stupid grin on his face when he looked at me. "I'm not sure I want to answer that, beautiful. You might think less of me."

"Trust me, the truth can't hurt you any more than my imagination." Boys. Whatever.

"Honestly, no I'm not a slut. I've had a few relationships, but compared to Edward, I'm a saint. That does not mean, however, that I will give up on my pursuit of your delicious looking panties. I will be victorious." At that he let out an evil laugh. It gave me chills. In a good way.


	3. Country Roads

Jasper was true to his word. He showed me around Forks – for all of fifteen minutes. Nothing much to see in this little town, and really, I had seen it all before when I'd stayed with Charlie over the summers of my youth. The one thing I didn't know about was the gravel road that where all the kids hung out to party and park on Friday nights. Yellow Brick Road, he had called it. It was just a gravel road, threatened to be taken over by a copious amount of kudzu and moss, that seemed to lead to nowhere in particular. Even in the bright sun on this rare day, this particular road had a damp and eerie feel to it. Like something out of a horror movie where you scream at the heroine on screen to not go down that road, but to turn back to the highway.

We had pulled over in the remains of an old driveway that looked like it led nowhere but to the middle of a corn field. I was beginning to get a little restless thinking about the things that were out here that we couldn't see. Jasper must have picked up on my discomfort. "What's wrong, Bella? You afraid the Big Bad Wolf is gonna get you?" He snickered at me a little, which only made me blush at my silliness.

"No. I'm worried you're taking me out here so you can ravish my body where I can't scream for help." I snapped back at him with a little more force than was intended. He looked appalled.

"Really, Bella? I would never hurt you. I know I'm a flirt, but I'm not that kind of guy. If it's creeping you out, we can go back." He reached over and patted my thigh, this time with only comfort as his objective.

"I'm fine, really. Just a little unnerved. I've never seen any place so quiet. What does everybody come out here for?"

"Mostly, we turn a stereo up loud, drink and act like rebellious teenagers." He grinned at me again and my discomfort eased somewhat. "Some people go parking down the road a little bit. Mostly it's just a place for us to get out from under the watchful eyes of our parents and live a little. Surely y'all went parking back in Phoenix?"

"I'm sure there was parking going on somewhere." I tried to be nonchalant about it.

"Don't you have firsthand experience, Bella? You strike me as the type of girl who is comfortable in the backseat of a car." He winked.

I was hoping that subject wouldn't come up for a while yet, and I really wasn't ready to spill all the sordid details of my past just yet. "Jasper, I'm not sure that's a very nice thing to say to a girl. You make me sound like a slut!" I put on my best hurt-puppy look and batted my eye lashes at him.

"Aww, Bells, I didn't mean it like that." His drawl was pronounced when he was being apologetic and it made my knees feel like jelly. "I don't think you're a slut. You just seem like the kind of girl that knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it, that's all."

What can I say? He's good. With the deep velvety voice, the sparkly blue eyes and that accent, I couldn't be upset with him. "It's ok, Jazzy. I forgive you for your misconceptions." I smiled sweetly at him. "But I would like to get out of here, if you don't mind. It's too quiet for my blood."

With that, Jasper put the car in reverse and soon we were back on the highway heading the opposite direction of town. Soon, we turned into a long, tree-lined driveway that gave way to what can only be described as an old Southern homestead. It fit my image of Jasper perfectly, but seems strange to be on the outskirts of Forks. The house itself was a big, white sided, two-story building with a high-pitched roof. The wraparound porch seemed to skirt the entire façade. At the corner of one end of the porch was a large swing suspended by chains from the ceiling. It was rocking slightly from the breeze that had sprung up since school let out. Jasper parked his car in the circle drive that ran directly in front of the steps and jumped out, quickly coming to my side of the car to help me out.

"Trying to sneak another peek, cowboy?" I made an exaggerated effort to tuck the skirt of my dress between my thighs to prevent him from seeing my panties.

"Nope, this time I was just being nice, ma'am." Gah! I'm such a sucker for that accent! "Come on in and I'll get you something to drink. I figure the guys'll be over soon."

I followed him up the steps and into the foyer. The inside of the house was as beautiful as the outside and just as inviting. He led me through the living room and into the kitchen, where he indicated I should sit at the little island in the center of the room. He rummaged in a cabinet and brought out two glasses, which he subsequently filled with ice cubes and soda, handing one to me before taking a seat beside me.

"Jazzy, this place is amazing. Such a beautiful home, but it seems really out of place in Forks."

"It is. My dad had the plans drawn up based on a house he had admired growing up in Atlanta. It doesn't really fit here, true, but my dad has a Confederate soul so we just accept his weirdness with a smile."

We drank our sodas in silence until the loud rumble of a motor indicated the arrival of guests. "Sounds like Emmett's here. I'm gonna go get the door before he has a chance to bang on it. I'll be right back." Soon after he left the room, I could hear Emmett's booming voice echoing through the house. He and Jasper were talking as they entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Bella. I wasn't expecting to see you here." He raised an eyebrow at me in question. "What have you and Jasper been up to?"

"We were just discussing the preferred positions of the Kama Sutra." I winked wickedly at Emmett as Jasper let out a quiet chuckle.

"Aww, Bella. Don't waste all the dirty talking on Jasper. I'm sure I'm better at it." Emmett stepped up behind me and snaked his hands around my waist. I was not used to this much male attention and wasn't exactly sure how to handle myself. Luckily, Jasper took care of it for me.

"Em, dude. The little lady does not like to be manhandled. Get your bear paws off of her before she blacks your eye."

Emmett jumped back and raised both hands in the air in mock fear. I giggled at the expression on his face – a mixture of embarrassment and repressed laughter.

"Worried about the competition there, cowboy?" I grinned at Jasper as I slid down from the stool and stood on my tip toes in front of Emmett, wrapping my arms as far as they would go around his thick midsection and kissed him on the cheek. "You can manhandle me anytime, big boy." I batted my lashes at Emmett as he blushed a faint pink before beaming back at Jasper with a look that said 'Eat me.'

I walked out into the living room, heading toward the comfy looking leather sofa when I heard the front door open again. Rosalie and Alice walked in, discussing the pros and cons of patent leather over vinyl when it came to club wear. Trailing behind them, obviously checking out the swishing of their collective asses as they walked was a very snarky Edward. He looked up and saw me, realizing that I had caught him checking out Rose and Alice. Instead of being shamed as a well-behaved boy should be, he just smirked at me and raised an eyebrow. To make matters worse, he reached out and slapped Rosalie right on her perfect little ass, forcing a loud squeal from her. To Rose's credit, she just turned and glared at him for a minute before resuming her conversation with Alice. The girls had yet to acknowledge the rest of us as they each sat down on the sofa I had been eyeing prior to their entrance.

Emmett and Jasper had entered the room behind me and they both spoke to Edward and did some little high-five-handshake kind of thing that only teenage boys can get by with without looking like idiots. Edward was watching me as he sauntered over to the couch and took a seat beside Rosalie, making a show of wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close to him. Again, she only gave him an annoyed look, but didn't fight to get away from his embrace. He grinned that lopsided, cocky grin at me again and looked from Rosalie to his crotch. Two can play this game, Slutward.

Jasper had picked a movie from the vast collection of DVD's that were housed in the shelves below the flat screen TV that was centered on the wall opposite the sofa and was sliding it into the player. I decided to retrieve my soda from the kitchen, hoping the distraction would help me form a plan to get back at Edward for his obvious challenge.

As I reentered the living room, I realized all of the seats were taken. Emmett had flopped his massive form into one of the matching recliners that flanked the sofa and was making an effort to get comfortable in the chair that was just a little too small for him. Jasper was sitting in the other recliner, pulling the handle to stretch the footrest out in front of him. A new plan was formed immediately. Excuse me, Slutward. Have you met Ballsy Bella?

"Jazzy, where am I going to sit?" I walked up behind Jasper's reclining form and ran my hands over the top of the chair and down his chest, trying my best to put a sexy tenor in my voice. It worked.

"Well, darlin', you can sit here with me, I suppose." He held my hand as I walked around to the side of the chair and then grabbed me by the waist and hauled me into his lap, my legs hanging over the side. "How's that?"

"This can work, I suppose." I could feel Edward looking at me, so I glanced over my shoulder and winked at him. "I think this will work quite well, actually." I reached an arm around behind Jasper's neck and snuggled close to his body. He did feel really nice against me. I allowed myself to lay my head down on his shoulder and relax for the first time all day. I was enjoying my snuggly little cocoon when I heard the familiar ringtone of my cell phone. My purse was sitting on the table in front of the sofa, just out of my reach. "Edward, would you hand me my purse, please? I'm too comfy to move at the moment." My voice came out much huskier than I intended, but it had the desired effect. Edward's eyes hardened when he looked at me, and then gave us both a death glare when Jasper let out a muted chuckle. However, he did have the decency to do as I asked, just as my phone quit ringing.

I retrieved the little piece of technology that was my lifeline back in Phoenix. Charlie. He must have found my note. I pushed the little green phone button and was surprised at the worry in his voice when he answered.

"Dad, what's up?" I was still cuddled up to Jasper, but was trying to be quiet so I didn't disturb him too much.

"Bells, I hate to do this to you, but I have to work late. There's been a bad accident and I'm not sure how long it's going to be before I get home. I hate leaving you alone, sweetie, but there just isn't anybody else."

"Don't worry about me. I'm actually with some friends now. Do you think you'll be home before bedtime?"

"I just don't know, Bells. I'll call you later and let you know what it looks like. I may get Ms. Meyer from down the street to come stay with you until I get home."

"Dad! I'm not eight years old! I think I can stay by myself for one night." My father. The most naïve parent in the world.

"I'll call you later and we'll see how it goes. Bye, Bells."

"Bye, Dad." I must have sounded as annoyed as I felt because Jasper was looking at me with curiosity.

"What was that about?" He had turned his head and leaned back to look at me. "Everything ok?"

"Yes. My dad is stuck at work and is worried about me staying at the house by myself. He wants to have some neighbor lady come babysit me like I'm a kid. And the sad part is that I don't think he's likely to give in on that part, either."

"You could stay here if you want." He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world for a boy to be inviting me to spend the night at his house. "We have plenty of guest rooms that hardly ever get used."

"My dad is hardly going to let me shack up with some guy I just met." I rolled my eyes at him.

"What? I'm a good guy! Besides, my parents know Chief Swan pretty well. I'm sure if my mom invited you, it would be alright." We winked at me and pulled out his phone, quickly entering a text message, the flipping it closed again.

Within a few minutes, Jasper had a reply. My dad had agreed to let me sleep over at Mrs. Whitlock's request. Of course, as soon as it was made known that I was staying over, everybody else decided to crash at Jasper's as well. It must have been a fairly common thing for them to do as everybody had a change of clothes with them except me. Jasper lent me a pair of basketball shorts and a ratty Rolling Stones t-shirt to sleep in. While I was changing, the guys moved the furniture out a bit and piled blankets on the floor. By the end of the second movie all six of us were heaped together in the floor, arms and legs sprawled across each other. It was a very strange feeling for me to have bonded so quickly with this bunch considering how shy and reserved I was in Phoenix. I drifted off to sleep with my head on Jasper's shoulder, Alice squeezed up against my back.

I could get used to this.


	4. Truth or Dare

The next morning, I woke from a lazy dream of masculine smells and warmth to find my body completely wrapped around Jasper. He was lying on his back and I had my head on his shoulder, my arm wrapped snuggly around his midsection and my leg bent and laying on top of his. He had wrapped his arm around my back. I was too warm and comfortable to move, so I just stayed there momentarily. I must have given myself away, because within just a few minutes, I felt Jasper move beneath me.

"Morning, beautiful." He grinned a sleepy grin at me as I looked up at him. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have in months, actually. But, I have no idea what time it is and unless today is a holiday that I'm unaware of, I need to get home and get ready for school."

Jasper reached his free hand to the edge of the pallet we were sleeping on and looked at his cell phone. "It's just before six. You have plenty of time, so just lay here with me for a few more minutes, and then I'll take you home. We don't have long to be alone. Alice's internal clock wakes her up every morning at five after and then it will be chaos."

It didn't take much convincing. I was plenty glad to be lazy in his arms a little longer. And, it turns out, Alice's internal clock didn't fail her. At exactly five minutes after six, she yawned and stretched, then jumped up like somebody had flipped a switch and she was rushing everybody to get up and moving. Instead of Jasper taking me home, Alice and Rosalie offered since they had to drive through town on their way home.

I did as Jasper had asked me and wore another dress to school that day. Instead of feeling rebellious, today I wanted to be beautiful. Or at least as beautiful as I could be. I dressed in a tight, black pencil skirt, black stockings (complete with seam up the back) and black patent leather stilettos. The blouse I chose was very feminine. It was made from pink silk, tailored to fit my curves well, with willowy sleeves. It felt good against my skin and I _felt_ girly and pretty in it. I chose to leave my hair down, the loose curls flowing down my back in heavy waves.

I drove my dad's outdated Chevy pickup to work. He rarely drove his truck since he had a squad car as his main transportation, but he was nothing if not meticulous about its upkeep. The clouds were back today so I had added a black wrap sweater as I walked out. Now, taking it off in Algebra, I heard a quick intake in breath and looked in time to see Mike Newton readjusting himself. Gross, but good to know. I wonder if I could use that sweater effect on more appealing male subjects.

At lunch, I again joined Jasper and the rest of the crew. Alice, Rosalie and I talked more about our upcoming shopping trip. By the end of lunch we had decided to nix Port Angeles and just spend the weekend in Seattle. Rosalie's father was a hotel magnate and was the proud owner of the lushest hotel in Seattle, along with dozens more all over the country. When the boys realized we were going to be living large in the big city, they invited themselves along. Rosalie called the hotel and reserved a suite for us for Friday and Saturday nights.

That afternoon after school, we all met up at Alice's house. We did homework and studied for a test in history, then watched a movie. I got home just as Charlie was getting home from work, and we said our goodnights and I went to bed, exhausted but finally having the feeling of fitting in that I had never experienced in Phoenix.

The rest of the week pretty much followed the same pattern. School, meet at somebody's house to do homework, study and veg, then home to crash. By Friday, we were all filled with nervous energy and anticipation of the weekend. We all piled into Edward's Volvo after school let out and started the four hour drive to Seattle.

The hotel was everything you would expect. Miss Hale generated a lot of attention from the staff and as her special guests we were treated as royalty as well. Our suite was immaculate and larger by half than the modest house I shared with Charlie. There was a central common room that was composed of a living area and a kitchenette. Opposite the entry point was a wall of windows overlooking the city and French doors that led to a huge balcony shared by both bedrooms. Each bedroom had two queen sized beds, coved by fluffy white linens. There was a bathroom attached to each bedroom that included a Jacuzzi tub, a glass shower stall and a marble counter with double sinks. There was even a switch on the wall that heated the marble floor.

Our luggage was delivered shortly and Rosalie ordered room service for us all as we unpacked and settled in. It was late by the time we got settled, so instead of venturing into the big city, it was decided that we would all just hang out tonight and start the adventure in the morning with the planned shopping trip.

Dinner arrived and we all ate, picnic style, in the floor on the plush carpeting. Conversation flowed easily between all of us. The others easily including me into their stories, explaining historical references and asking me about my past as well. When the issue of my social standing in Phoenix came up, I was hesitant to explain. I felt that I was accepted by this group, but I still wasn't sure that I was comfortable telling them about the wall flower I had been. At my resistance, Emmett suggested that we play Truth or Dare. That way I wouldn't be the only one under the gun and if I didn't want to answer, I could always take a dare. Under the circumstances, it seemed like a better alternative than admitting the truth.

Emmett explained 'his' rules for Truth or Dare. "Here is the way we're gonna play. I ask first since it was my idea. Whoever I pick on, gets to ask the next question, then the person they pick gets the next question, and so forth. You can choose to answer a question truthfully before hearing it asked, or if you're a chickenshit, you can take a dare and keep your secrets to yourself. However, because I am such a nice guy, each person gets one pass. That means that you can refuse to answer a Truth question or not perform a Dare. However, when you use your pass, it comes with the price of your clothing. You have to strip down to your underwear and stay that way until the end of the game. The game ends at one a.m.. Any questions before we start?"

"Emmett, you are so full of yourself, you know that? Since when does Truth or Dare come with an underwear rule?" Rosalie glared at him. I guessed that it was probably because she was pantiless under her tight-ass jeans.

"Rose, my dear, those are the rules. If you don't like them, carry your narrow ass to bed and leave those of us with some cajoñes to play." Emmett challenged her, but he didn't wait for her to respond. "Now, my first question goes to Bella." He grinned evilly at me. "Truth or Dare."

I was scared to go with a dare this early on, so I braced myself for the question. "Truth," I answered.

"What color are your panties?"

You've got to be kidding me! That was his big question? "White," I answered, simply, giving him my best sex-kitten grin. "Now my turn. Jasper."

He had been clearing our used dishes away from our makeshift circle on the floor as Emmett laid out his rules, but was seated beside me know, Indian style, his knee resting against mine. When I said he name, he turned to look me in the eyes and gave me that lopsided grin. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," he answered, never letting his grin falter. Oh, he was much too trusting.

"Have you ever harbored a secret crush on Alice or Rosalie?" He had told me that Edward and Rosalie had been together, but he had been pretty secretive about his own relationship with the two beautiful girls.

"Yes."

I wasn't surprised, but his simple answer had both girls looking at him in shock. Huh. Maybe it had been a secret.

"Alice. Truth or Dare?" A brief flash of fear crossed Tinkerbelle's face. I didn't know her well, but she hadn't struck me as the type to keep a lot of secrets, so I was surprised when she answered.

"Dare."

"Close your eyes and let the person of my choosing kiss you for thirty seconds."

Alice briefly glared at him, but Jasper just winked at her. She did as she was asked and closed her eyes tightly, forcing out a sigh to show her disapproval of his request. When he eyes were closed, Jasper motioned for Emmett to lean in and kiss her. Emmett grinned his silly boy smile and crawled over to her, carefully not touching her anywhere but her lips. When their lips touched, Jasper started counting down the seconds. By the time he had reached thirty, Alice seemed to have relaxed and was getting into the kiss. When she opened her eyes and saw Emmett, the shock was evident.

"Whatever. Jasper, you will pay for that. Now, my turn. Edward, Truth or Dare?"

Edward had been quiet during the entire game, looking rather bored with the whole ordeal. Now, a spark registered in his eye. "Dare, Alice. Always a Dare."

"Kiss Jasper. On the lips. For thirty seconds."

Edward glared at Alice, then at Jasper. "Why am I being punished for Jasper's stupid dare?"

"Are you refusing, Edward? If so, lose the clothes, bud," I challenged him, enjoying seeing him uncomfortable. Something about him just begged to be knocked down a notch from his high horse and Alice had picked a perfect way to do it.

"I'm not refusing, but I need some fortification first. Excuse me for a minute." He got up quickly and went to the bedroom the boys were sharing. When he came back he had a brown paper bag in his hand. He rejoined the circle between Jasper and Rosalie, pulling a fifth of Jim Beam from the bag, opening it and taking a swig straight from the bottle. "Here, Jasper. I'm sure you need it too." He handed Jasper the bottle and he slung back a swift drink as well, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and handing the bottle back to Edward.

"We're waiting," Alice stated, excitement in her eyes.

Edward leaned over to Jasper and puckered his lips tightly. Jasper made a grimace as their lips touched. The two boys sat there rigidly, in obvious discomfort, as Alice did the countdown. When she called thirty, they broke apart with a swiftness that would impress a gazelle, both of them rubbing furiously at their mouths as if they could erase then sensation. The rest of us were laughing uncontrollably at the looks of disgust mirrored in each of their faces.

"Alice, I will get you back for that when you are least expecting it," Edward threatened. "But now it is my turn to inflict pain and discomfort. Bella?" he looked at me with a wicked glint in his eye. "Truth or Dare?"

I have a feeling that whichever way I choose I am going to regret it. "Dare," I stated, questioning my response as soon as I saw the sparkle in his eyes, but knowing full well that I didn't want him delving into my secrets just yet.

"Back to these panties of yours. I have a hard time believing that you are a pure white kind of girl. Show us."

"Seriously, Slutward? Out of any dare you could come up with you just want to see my panties? Fine." I stood up, attempting to unfold myself gracefully and quickly unbuttoned my jeans and lowered them to my knees. "See? White." I was thankful that I had decided against the granny panties I had originally picked out and opted for the white lacy bikini that adorned my bottom now. The looks that graced the faces of each of the guys was priceless and more than a little boost to my ego. "Satisfied?"

Edward grumbled something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like 'not yet' but I couldn't be sure.

After pulling my jeans back up and reseating myself beside Jasper he leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Bells, you have an awfully nice ass." The feel of his breath on my skin raised goose bumps along my upper arms and had me fighting the shudder that threatened to rip through my body. I grabbed the bottle of Jim that has somehow managed to find itself sitting in front of Jasper again and took a long pull of the amber liquid, relishing in the burn as it trailed down my throat. There is something to be said for liquid courage. Realizing that I was falling back into my old routine of being the shrinking violet, I decided that I hadn't played with Jasper and Edward nearly enough.

I leaned over toward Jasper, placing one hand in the space between his folded legs for balance, the other hand hooking in the waistband at the back of his jeans I whispered back in his ear. "Want to get up close and personal with my ass? Get me out of here and I'll make it worth your time." I sucked his ear lobe briefly into my mouth, then blew a quick breeze of cool air against it before returning to my previous position facing the rest of the group. Emmett looked amused, Edward looked pissed and Jasper just looked horny. Alice gave me a wicked grin and winked at me and Rosalie seemed completely bored by the whole ordeal.

I had not forgotten that it was my turn to pose a Truth or Dare, so I tried to turn the attention away from me. "Rosalie?" She looked up at me with a tinge of fear in her eyes. "Truth or Dare?"

I couldn't tell what was going through her mind, but I knew that I would go easy on her either way. I had a feeling that Jasper would get me out of here soon anyway.

"Truth, I suppose." She looked bored still, but a little wary as well.

"Have you ever made out with Jasper?" I was curious if she was the one he had a secret crush on.

"Yes." She still seemed bored, but that led me to think that if he'd had a crush on Rosalie then it must not have been much of a secret if they had made out.

"Guys, forgive me, but I'm going to steal Bella for a while. She made me a promise that I'd like to see her follow through on. Don't wait up." He gave a wicked grin to Emmett and Edward and grabbed my hand to help me up, pulling me toward the bedroom that had been claimed by the guys. He closed the door behind us and had me pinned against the door in less time than it took for me to suck in a breath. He had a hand on the door on either side of my head, his lean body pressed against me so closely that I could feel when he breathed. He lowered his head to mine, nudging my jaw with his nose, turning my head to the side. I felt his hot breath on the skin of my neck as he trailed his way up my jaw bone to my ear, heating my flesh to burning in his wake.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing to me, Bella? I certainly hope that was an invitation you intended out there because I'm not sure I can keep my hands off of you much longer." He was keeping his hands to himself still, and I was glad that he was trying to respect my wishes, however at this point in time all I wanted was for his hands to be on me.

"God, Jazz. Just kiss me already. I don't want you to keep your hands off of my anymore."


	5. Seeing God

"_God, Jazz. Just kiss me already. I don't want you to keep your hands off of my anymore."_

He didn't need any more encouragement. His lips crashed into mine with the strength of passion that only a hormonal teenage boy could muster. The softness of his mouth and the taste of whiskey still on his breath made me shudder. In a good way. My hands automatically found their way to the nape of his neck and my fingers coiled themselves into the blonde curls that had been taunting me all night. His hair was cool and silky smooth, a vast contrast from the heat of his skin. It seemed that he was still fighting his desire to touch me as his hands hadn't moved from the door. Maybe my invitation wasn't obvious enough?

I loosened one hand from the tangle of his hair and reached up to his, guiding it to rest on my hip, never breaking our kiss. His breath hitched slightly when he touched me and I took the opportunity to run the tip of my tongue over his slightly-parted lips. He tasted heavenly, like sunshine and boy. I pressed closer to him and deepened the kiss as both of his hands found my waist and burrowed slightly under the fabric of my top to rest on the overheated skin hidden there.

The need to breathe forced us apart, but instead of pulling back, Jasper just rested his forehead against mine and looked into my eyes. The desire that was evident there took my newly recovered breath away. He was smoldering.

Unfortunately, he wasn't doing much else. I could see the debate register in his eyes. He was trying to control himself and give me the chance to back out gracefully before things got too out of hand. With that realization, I could feel the old Bella beginning to slowly creep back in. This was the point in which she would have high-tailed it out of there, tail tucked and questioning her abilities to please a man with her limited experience. She would have then spent the next few days wallowing in self-pity and what-ifs, regretting her fear. Ballsy Bella was going to have to fight to win this battle, but the experience would be worth it in the end.

I put both of my hands on Jasper's muscled chest and pushed him away from me, back toward the bed. Understanding dawned slowly on his face as he realized my intention and a smirk found its way to his swollen lips. When his knees brushed the edge of the bed, I gave one final push and he fell backward onto the mattress.

He scooted his way up on the bed, until his feet were no longer dangling off the side. Watching the gleam in his eye as he looked at me through hooded lids, I felt that familiar tug of self-consciousness begin to surface once again and did my best to squash it. I wanted this boy with everything in my being in this moment. I was tired of being cursed with innocence.

I channeled my inner sex kitten, relying not on experience but rather on instinct alone as I crawled onto the bed to lay beside him, resting my head on his outstretched arm. He rolled slightly so that he was on his side and slid his free hand back to my waist, again sneaking under the hem of my shirt. His fingers were rough, but not unpleasant in the slightest, as he rubbed small circles on the skin above my belly button.

He leaned over and lowered his lips to mine again, rekindling the fire. He began to move his hand slowly upward, but much too slowly for my taste, and so I grabbed his wrist and guided him swiftly to touch where I wanted him so badly.

Jasper laughed a deep rumble in his chest that made my insides tingle. "Slow down there, beautiful. No need to rush."

He didn't give me a chance to reply before he kissed me again. Thankfully, he took the hint and his fingers began to trace the curve of my breast, just below the wire of my bra. I felt goose bumps grow in the wake of his stroke and shivered with the pleasure of it.

He broke our kiss, and just as I was about to protest, his lips found the hollow of my throat, and then trailed down to the exposed skin at the top of my blouse. When his kisses were halted by fabric, he pulled me up and gripped the hem of my shirt, pulling it expertly over my head. I lay back down, closing my eyes, and expecting that he would resume the kissing business. When he didn't immediately start again, I opened my eyes to find him staring back at me. My first response was to try and cover myself as I felt a blush of shame begin to rise.

As my arms came down across my chest, Jasper grabbed them and placed them by my sides. "Bella, don't hide from me. You have nothing to be embarrassed about." His words were barely uttered above a whisper, but I could hear the desire in his voice and it quickly reassured me.

He lowered his lips to mine again, as a last reassurance of his tenderness. His fingers began tracing the swell of my breast again, before palming my mounds roughly. I sucked in a breath as I felt my nipples pebble in response. He looked up at me and smirked, before lowering his mouth to envelop the hardened flesh and breathing a hot breath through the thin satin of my bra. I shivered in response and felt moisture begin to form between my legs.

"Hey, bitches! Get your asses back out here!" I heard Edward's slurred voice only seconds before the door slammed open, not giving me enough time to cover my exposed chest. Jasper moved quickly to try shielding me from Edward's sight, but the look of surprise on his face indicated that it had not been fast enough. "Whoa, Jazz. Sorry to interrupt your play, dude. Carry on." With that he turned and stumbled his way back into the common area of the suite.

I was mortified. I had to fight my shyness being alone with jus Jasper, but now that Edward had seen me topless as well, all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and hide for a good year or two. I felt my face flame red with embarrassment as Jasper handed my shirt back to me with an apologetic look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I should've expected something like that and locked the door. Are you alright?" he asked.

I had gotten my shirt back on and was attempting to hide my face in the pillow so he couldn't see the absolute humiliation that I knew was written there. "Yes," I said, the words muffled in the pillow.

I felt Jasper rub my back in a comforting manner, then smooth my hair back from my cheek. "Edward's like that. Since we were in junior high, he has made it his goal to walk in on all of us in compromising situations. Consider yourself lucky that he didn't walk in on you in the shower like he did Alice. Actually, he doused her with a pitcher of ice water immediately after. She refused to talk to him for a week." He chuckled at the memory and the sound of his laughter helped to ease the tension I was feeling.

"I suppose I should be thankful you hadn't gotten my bra off just yet. Huh, lover boy?" I laughed and began to regain my composure. After all, I had just showed the whole room my panties without a second thought. "Let's go back out there. I think there has to be a dare we can come up with that would be suitable punishment."

"I like the way you think, beautiful." Jasper slid off the bed and reached a hand out for me. I grabbed it and followed him out of the room, steeling myself from the knowing looks that I knew would be there to greet us.

As soon as we were out of the bedroom, the cat calls started. Emmett and Edward were making obscene hand gestures while whooping like a couple of drunken sailors. Alice looked up and smirked at me, but Rosalie still looked disinterested. I guess nothing ever fazes that girl.

"So, guys… you coming out to rejoin the game or are you just taking a break from the freaky-deaky?" Edward asked.

"Slutward, nothing happened thank you… and yes, we want to play some more. Whose turn is it?"

"Emmett was about to entertain us by shaking his naked ass on the balcony for the old woman across the street. See her over there? She's been watching our room since you guys ran off for your grope session. We figured it was time to give her something to look at. Right, Em?" Edward grinned from ear to ear at Emmett, who in turn looked like he was going to have more fun completing his dare than he should.

I watched in shock as Emmett walked over to the French doors, stepped onto the balcony and began to unbutton his jeans. He turned to face us, grinned widely and pulled his pants down to shake his butt to the woman across the street. The look on her face was priceless and we all started laughing. By the time Emmett got his pants up and was back in the room, seated in the circle with the rest of us, I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. He looked like the cat that ate the canary; completely full of himself.

"Emmett, man, that was too much. I can't believe you did that!" Jasper smacked him on the shoulder.

"I believe that means it's my turn to ask the questions. Bella, truth or dare?" Emmett questioned.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna regret it either way, so truth?" It was more of a question than a statement and I hoped he would go easy on me.

"What's your bra size?"

"Emmett! What is it with you guys and your obsession with my underwear? If you just _must_ know, a 36 C. Happy now? Or do you want to see if they match my panties, too?"

"Would you show us? I mean, I guess we could ask Jasper and all, but it'd be nice to see for ourselves, don't you agree, Ed?" he teased.

"No, it's not an offer. Now no more questions about my underwear! Pick on Alice or Rose for heaven's sake!" I put on an irritated scowl hoping they would get the point and leave me alone for a while, but I had a feeling it was just the beginning. After all, it was only midnight, meaning there was still an hour to go. "Alright. It's my turn. Edward, truth or dare?"

"Dare." I couldn't believe he'd chosen a dare after barging in on Jasper and me. The boy must not have any sense of self-preservation.

"I'm so glad you chose dare, Edward. I have something very special in mind for you. I want you to strip, butt naked, and sing 'She Bangs' all the way through while dancing."

"I can't. I don't know the lyrics." The boy thought he would get out of it. He had lost his marbles if he thought I was going to let that stop him.

"Here. I looked them up on my BlackBerry. Now, start stripping, big boy," I coaxed.

The rest of the group were barely concealing their giggles as Jasper leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Remind me never to piss you off. You're evil, little girl." I just grinned, waiting for the show.

After Edwards hilarious rendition of a pop mistake, the rest of the night was pretty tame. The guys took my suggestion and picked on Alice and Rosalie for the remaining hour, and then we split off to go to bed. I expected Alice to at least quiz me on what went down with Jasper, but surprisingly she got into bed quietly.

***

The next morning dawned, bright and warm. Alice had already decided on the many shops we would be visiting and had planned our itinerary precisely. She woke Rose and I up at an ungodly hour and demanded that we make ourselves ready, giving up a fifteen minute countdown to our departure time, eight thirty. The plan was to hit a few boutiques in the morning, then meet up with the guys at the mall for lunch.

Rosalie's name once again managed to find us in the lap of luxury. To my surprise she had requested a limo for our use throughout the day and I was completely shocked to see a chauffeur waiting for us as we exited the front doors of the hotel.

The first stop on our tour of shopping Seattle was a little dress shop that Alice swore housed the best vintage dresses in the western US. The building itself was what could best be described as a hole-in-the-wall; it was a tiny little brick building that was very nondescript. The red brick was crumbling in places and the paint around the bay window in front was peeling. However, it was proof that looks can be deceiving.

Inside the store, dresses of every style and size were arranged so that there was only a cramped walkway between them. Every inch of space was utilized skillfully. Alice immediately made her way to the section that boasted sizes five and six – my dress size, obviously not hers. She started picking dresses and throwing them unceremoniously toward me to catch.

"Alice, what are you doing? I can shop for myself, you know."

"I know," the little pixie sounded like someone had spiked her morning coffee. "But I want to help. Ask Rose, this is what I do."

I looked to Rosalie who nodded briefly and rolled her eyes. "She's been _helping_ me buy my clothes since we were kids. You might as well just go along with it because she is hell on wheels if you don't."

Alice just smiled. "See! You have to let me help you! It's for your own sanity."

After about ten minutes of Alice throwing dresses in my direction, I had an armload of rainbow covered fabric and a pair of aching shoulders from the sheer weight. "Let me go try some of these on, Alice, before you bury me completely. Where's the dressing room?"

"Follow me. You're not going in there alone, girl. I have to approve any purchases." She flounced toward the back of the store and left me with no choice but to follow her. The dressing room was the most spacious area of the entire store with mirrors on three of the four walls and a clothes rack to hang the dresses on as opposed to the little hooks found in most stores. For what seemed like hours I tried on dresses in every color, cut, and style. Alice would have me make a little runway walk and turn for her, then she would either jump up and down and claim that I just _had_ to have that one, or she would turn her nose up and tell me to take it off. She was literally a fashion Nazi. Eventually, we found a fifties-era royal blue velvet dress that had cap sleeves with beads and rhinestones sewn in a deep V down the front. Alice told me in no uncertain terms that I would be wearing that dress to prom. After approving Rose's purchase of yet another little black dress (according to Alice that was the only color dress that Rose would buy), Alice bought herself an ivory Flapper dress, and we left the store for the next stop on our route.

By the time we met the boys for lunch the back of the limo was filled with bags full of clothes, shoes, and lingerie (a requirement, according to Alice, for any well-dressed girl). We ate in the food court then visited a few department stores with the guys. Shopping with teenage boys is an educational experience that I suggest everyone embark on at least once in their lifetime. We ended up in a t-shirt store where Edward and Emmett managed to find every shirt that had even an inkling of sexual innuendo. Jasper tried to pretend he didn't know them, but in the end all three of them ended up with a shirt that included raunchy wording on it. Edward's shirt, however, took the cake. He insisted on changing into it before we left the store, and we all were bent over howling in laughter when he walked out in a emerald green shirt that said 'The Man, The Legend' with an arrow pointing up for the man and an arrow pointing down for the legend. He looked so completely pleased with himself that it made the situation even funnier.

"Geez, Slutward. You're a bit full of yourself, don't you think? Legend… really?" I asked when I had finally recovered enough breath to speak.

"Just ask around, Swan. It _is_ legendary. I've got mad skills." He looked so cocky that I couldn't help but to respond.

"Really, though? I saw your goods last night during your little girlie dance. I didn't see much that I would describe as legendary." I made a point of looking directly at his crotch, the lifted an eyebrow in question. Edward didn't have a chance to counter.

"Oh, burn, dude. Bells just put you in your place, man." Emmett was laughing again, loudly enough that everyone else in the store got quiet and turned to look at us. He slapped Edward on the shoulder, hard, and ruffled his already messy hair. I just smirked at Edward again, then turned on my heel and left the store, not waiting for anyone to follow me.

Shortly after that, we all headed back to the hotel. Alice and Rosalie had insisted that we go to a new club that they had heard about. I was worried about being underage, but Rose said that she could get us in without incident, and told me not to worry about it.

Back at the hotel, the boys played video games while Alice and Rose turned me into Bella Barbie. Alice rummaged through my shopping bags until she found an outfit she had refused to let me leave behind. It consisted of a dark blue distressed denim skirt that was so short I was sure my ass cheeks were hanging out the back, and paired it with a strapless, white tube top with fuchsia stripes. Black stilettos and silver bangles completed the look, and I was finally deemed appropriate for a night on the town. Once Alice had dressed me, she turned me over to Rose for hair and makeup. By the time she was finished, my hair had been curled into big waves and pulled into a messy ponytail. A few pieces were left loose to give me what Rose called the 'windblown, glamorous look'. My make up was amazingly sparse, save for the dark smudges of charcoal around my eyes that gave me a sultry look. Light pink lip gloss was applied, and the girls told me I was finished. When I looked in the mirror after the final transformation, it was hard to believe that this was the same shy girl that had left Phoenix just a week ago.

Alice and Rosalie took their time getting dressed and doing each other's makeup. Rosalie was dressed to the nines in a tight black dress with a neckline that dipped down far enough that you could see where her black bra crossed in the middle of her chest. She wore four inch heels and dangly silver earrings. Her blond hair was left loose and when it was all said and done she looked like she belonged on a runway in Paris. Alice, in contrast, was wearing a white, strapless shorts jumper with pinstripes in vibrant colors. She paired it with pink heels and bright green hair barrettes that would have made me look like a clown, but on her tiny frame, looked like something straight out of a fashion magazine.

Ready to face the night, and more than a little hungry, we went to get the boys so we could go to dinner before hitting the club. The guys looked like a trio of GQ models, each of them in dark jeans and button up shirts. Jasper's shirt was a bright cerulean blue, Emmett was wearing pink, of all things, but Edward looked the best of all. His shirt was a deep emerald green that made his eyes smolder. I was in awe of his beauty in that moment, so much so that it all but took my breath away. When he caught me staring, to my surprise, he only smirked at me and cocked an eyebrow.

"Ladies, you are smokin' hot!" Emmett was the first to speak. "We are some lucky sons of bitches tonight, boys!" He held each elbow out and indicated for Rose and Alice to wrap their hands around his massive arms as he led them out of the room.

Jasper took my hand and held it to his lips before kissing my knuckles and simply said "Ma'am" before escorting me after Emmett. Edward brought up the rear of our little procession and I heard him jiggle the door behind us to make sure it was locked before following us out to the limo.

Dinner was a raucous affair. We ate at some little Italian place that Rosalie swore was the best food in the state. It was packed full, but not a single person in the place looked like they could be over thirty. Our boisterous bunch fit right in with the loud jokes and laughter that permeated the room. By the time we had finished eating, it was almost nine o'clock. We headed for the club, and I was getting worried yet again that we would not be able to get in.

We arrived at our destination, and low and behold Rose was true to her word. When she spoke with the bouncer and winked at him he motioned for us all to come inside. My face must have shown the shock at such an easy entrance because Rose leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I promised to dance with him when he takes a break later. Never underestimate the power of a short skirt and cleavage, Bells." She grinned wickedly at me and sauntered off in front of the group to find a table for us in a secluded corner. We were far enough from the nearest speaker to be able to hear each other talk, but still had an awesome view of the dance floor.

We ordered a round of drinks and were talking and laughing by the time they arrived.

"So, Bells, what happened in Phoenix that you ended up in the wonderful town of Forks?" Emmett asked.

"The short answer is my mom got married."

"So? Parents remarry all the time without having to relocate their kids. What makes you so special, Swan?" Edward asked me. "Did you act out? Become a rebellious teen?"

"I'd really rather not talk about it, Slutward."

"Aww, come on, Swan. We won't bite. We're your friends. You can trust us." He said it such a teasing way that I wasn't sure if I could trust him, but then I felt Jasper squeeze my hand under the table and I knew that he was telling the truth. If nothing else, Alice and Jasper would beat Edward to a pulp if he broke that trust.

"It's not a pretty story. It started when my Mom and Phil started dating about a year and a half ago. At first, he would bring me gifts whenever he came over to pick my mom up for a date. A jewelry box, some earrings, a DVD… as they got to be more serious, he would make an effort to spend more time with me, one-on-one. I thought it was sweet, that he was trying to make sure that I wasn't excluded from my mom's life, because so many of the other guys she dated seemed to forget that she had a daughter at all. Phil started to come over and visit before mom would get off work and we would play Canasta or Monopoly while we waited. He would help me cook dinner, and Mom thought it was great, too, that he was paying attention to me."

I stopped to take a breath and to prepare myself for the part of the story that I had never let anyone know about. Jasper still had his hand wrapped around mine under the table. Sensing my distress, he began to slowly rub the back of my palm with his thumb, trying to ease some of my tension.

"When they got married, about six months ago, things with Phil started to change. In front of my mom, he was still the same caring guy. But when she wasn't around he was different. He started to make comments that made me uncomfortable. He would tell me that my jeans made my ass look good, or that that I looked like I had sex hair after getting up in the morning. I didn't say anything to my mom because in her eyes he was perfect and she was blissfully happy in her newlywed state. About two months ago Phil started coming into my room at night. At first, I would pretend to be asleep and he would just stand in the doorway and stare at me. What prompted the move was the night he quit staring and decided to touch. I had actually been asleep that night. He had waited later than usual to come into my room so I had relaxed, thinking he would leave me alone. I was woken up when I felt his hands on my boobs. I screamed and mom came running in. Of course, Phil told her that I had a nightmare and he was across the hall when he heard me scream so he got to me before she did.

"I was crying so hard that I couldn't even speak. Mom herded Phil back to their room and I didn't see him again that night. The next day I tried to talk to mom about it, but she started telling me about some mushy little thing Phil had said to her and I just couldn't squash her happiness like that. So, I told her that I wanted to move out to give them some newlywed time. I had asked to move in with my grandmother Marie who lives in Florida, but Mom said she was too old to deal with a teenage girl. Instead she suggested I move in with Charlie. So, here I am."

By the time I finished talking, everybody was stone still and eerily quiet. For what seemed like forever, no one spoke.

"I'm sorry for being an ass before." Edward was the first to speak. "I had no idea."

"It's ok. Just please, all of you, don't tell anybody. Nobody knows what happened except for Phil and me. No one can know, especially not Charlie, and you know it will get back to him if any of you tell a soul. I'm trusting you with my deepest secret now."

"Bella, we won't tell anybody. We promise." Alice spoke softly, her eyes full of sorrow and care. "Will we guys?" She looked fierce when she looked at the faces around the rest of the table. Everybody murmured their agreement and I knew at the point that I truly had a group of friends I could depend on.


	6. Clubbing

NOTE: The poll for the next story is up. You can find it on my profile page.

After the painful telling of my Phil story, I quickly knocked back my Crown and Coke and ordered another round from the waitress. I knew that I could trust my new friends, and a warm comfort came over me. I had never had many friends in Phoenix; I had been too shy to seek out companionship on my own. It was different for me to have someone to confide in after being introverted for so long.

We laughed and talked for a while as the number of people on the dance floor grew. The four drinks I had consumed were beginning to loosen my inhibitions as I found myself flirting openly with all three guys and regaling Rose and Alice with my biting wit. When I heard the opening of Nickleback's "Something in Your Mouth" start to play, I jumped up and headed for the dance floor without a word to anyone at the table. This song made me feel sensual and sexy on its own and the alcohol just added to the need to move to it.

I found an open spot on the floor close to the edge of the crowd and in direct view of our table. I could see Alice and Rosalie laughing at me and my spur-of-the-moment need to dance, but I didn't care. I felt _good_. I began to move my hips with the beat of the song, just letting myself feel it instead of trying to do any actual foot work. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back letting the vibrations of the music and the electric atmosphere roll over me. I was lost in the moment when I felt a pair of strong hands firmly grip my hips from behind and a warm, hard body pulled itself up against my back.

I knew by his smell and the quiet rumble of his laughter that it was Jasper who had come to dance with me. His hands tightened their grip on my hips as he began to guide my movements. I leaned back against him and raised my arms back over my head to wrap around his neck. He lowered his head and I felt his hot breath on my neck seconds before his soft lips began a light caress over my exposed skin. The shock of the feeling caused a sudden intake of breath on my part and my eyes snapped open. We were facing our table where only Edward remained. When my eyes met his, I was surprised to see the blatant lust there. He made a point of breaking eye contact with me so that I could see him raking his eyes over my body. His inspection paused at my breasts and my hips where Jasper's hands were still holding me tightly to him. When his gaze returned to my face, he raised one eyebrow at me in his signature smirk and licked his lips, issuing a silent challenge.

Emboldened by the alcohol thrumming through my system, or due to the fact that Ballsy Bella was finally learning to take control without a fight, I decided right then to give him a show he wouldn't soon forget. I slowly lowered my arms from around Jasper's neck, letting my hands grazed down my body slowly, tracing my neck, the curve of my breasts, across my stomach down to the apex of my thighs. I made a point of pushing my ass back into Jasper and was pleasantly surprised to find that he was enjoying my movements as well. Edward had not broken eye contact again and I could see his jaw clenching and his knuckles were turning white where his hands were clasped together on the table. I gave him my sexiest grin as I began to lower myself down to the floor, keeping constant contact with Jasper's body. When I had descended as far as I could, I slowly ground my way back up to a standing position, making a concerted effort to put as much pressure on Jasper's obvious arousal as I could. He growled softly at me and the sound went straight to my core.

I was surprised when I saw Edward get up and walk towards us, looking every bit the part of a man on a mission. I expected him to say something to Jasper, or to simply ask me to dance with him, but he did neither. Instead, he snaked his hands around my waist and pulled himself up tight against my front. I was sandwiched between these two very hot guys and was only able to move because their hands were guiding me. My breath caught in my throat as my body reveled in the feeling of being surrounded by boy. Jasper's woodsy scent mixed enticingly with Edward's cologne and I was drowning in it. My mouth was watering and I desperately wanted to lick somebody.

Jasper leaned down and captured my mouth with his and I tried my damnedest to devour him. Our teeth and tongues were colliding and it still wasn't enough. Edward leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You're playing a dangerous game here, Bella," then proceeded to lick the shell of my ear before sucking the lobe itself into his hot mouth. The sensation of having both of their mouths on me was my undoing and I whimpered loudly enough that they both heard me over the thunderous beat of the music.

"Edward, I think she likes that, man." Jasper said over my head when he finally broke the kiss and allowed me to breathe again. His voice was husky.

"I believe she does, Jazz. I think our little Bella might be a naughty girl." He smirked at me then planted an open mouthed kiss on my neck.

In my head, I knew that I should feel dirty for this display we were offering. After all, I must look like a complete slut grinding against two guys while they kissed me, but I couldn't care. My body was caught up in the feeling of their combined heat, feeling both of them pressing their stiff groins against me, the friction of our collective bodies moving together; it was too good to try to get away from. I could feel my own arousal increasing to epic proportions and I knew that the slightest touch in the right place would send me off into bliss.

Lost to my senses, my mind began to wander to a situation where we were similarly embraced, but with considerably less clothing. The thought of Jasper and Edward being against me, skin-to-skin, hands wandering to places where I desperately needed them, proved to be too much for me. My body finally gave in and I felt the explosion start deep within my belly, engulfing my body with heat, subsiding with a faint tingle that left me breathless and weak. I felt my knees give way beneath me and had I not been held firmly in place by male muscles, I would have collapsed in a mushy pile on the floor.

As I recovered my senses, I realized that Jasper had said something, his voice deep and sensual in my ear. "Bella that was the hottest thing I have ever seen. I didn't know it was possible to cum just from dancing."

Embarrassment colored my face as I realized that both Jasper and Edward had not only witnessed my body's betrayal, but were fully aware of exactly what had just happened.

Edward still had that annoying smirk on his face when I looked up and met his eyes. "I am inclined to agree with Jazz. The only way it could have been any hotter would be if you were naked. How about we go back to the hotel and try out that scenario? I'm sure Jasper wouldn't mind."

"God, guys! Let go of me. I need a minute." Surprisingly, they both let go and I marched my way off the dance floor toward the restroom sign in the corner.

Once safely enclosed within a tiny stall, I let out a shaky breath and tried to recover from my mind-blowing, yet embarrassing, public orgasm. I stayed long enough to rein in my reeling emotions and recover some dignity. I assessed my reflection in the unflattering light of the overhead fluorescents and decided that there was little I could do about the freshly-fucked look that was apparent on my face. I couldn't stay locked in the bathroom for the rest of the night, so I straightened my skirt and top, then walked out into the club and headed directly to the bar.

I ordered a double shot of Jack and knocked it back as soon as it was placed in front of me. The warm burn helped to ease some of my tension and steel my nerves against facing my friends again. I got another Crown and Coke and headed back to the table to face the music.

Emmett and Rosalie were still conspicuously absent, but Alice, Edward and Jasper were talking and laughing as I approached. I reclaimed my seat from before, which happened to now be flanked by Edward and Jasper, and tried my best to sink into the upholstery.

"You okay, Bella? You look a little flushed," Alice asked, concern written on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a little overheated." I tried to ignore the knowing look that passed between Edward and Jasper. "I'll be fine in a bit. I just need to cool off some."

Jasper had leaned back in his seat and put his arm around the back of my chair. His fingers were absentmindedly twisting a lock of my hair that had fallen away from my ponytail. The feeling was comforting and helped considerably to ease my discomfort. That is, until I felt Edward place his hot hand on my thigh, snaking his thumb under the hem of my much-too-short skirt. I jumped at the contact, and shot him a dirty look. He gave me a sexy grin and winked at me, then removed his offending hand.

I didn't know what to make of the thing between him and Jasper. Even though they were close friends, what I knew of teenage boys told me that Jasper should be jealous, or at the very least offended, that Edward was trying so hard to get into my pants. We had never said that we were 'dating' but Jazz and I had spent most of our free time together since that first day. I imagined that we looked like boyfriend/girlfriend to the outside world. On the other hand, maybe I was reading too much into it. Maybe Jasper just thought of me as a conquest and didn't have an emotional stake in the situation at all. That didn't sit well, and I had a hard time reconciling that thought to the way Jasper acted with me.

Then there was Edward. Wouldn't most boys refrain from hitting on their best friend's romantic interest? Did the boy have no shame?

These questions plagued me for the rest of the evening to the point of distraction. I found myself lost to my own thoughts and tuning out the conversations around me. Alice was still concerned that I wasn't feeling well and offered to go back to the hotel with me if I wanted to leave before the others were ready. It took my best acting skills to convince her I was fine, but she still gave me a worried expression whenever I would zone out.

By the time we all made it back to the hotel I was exhausted. My mental monologue and the copious amounts of alcohol had worn me down and all I wanted to do was pass out. However, it seemed that I was the only one that was tired. Rosalie immediately turned the TV on to some Sirius music station and began to dance again in the middle of the common room. Emmett and Alice quickly joined her; all three of them laughing like goons as they flailed around drunkenly. I quietly left, closing myself in the room I shared with the girls and ran myself a hot bath in the Jacuzzi tub. I poured a full bottle of the hotel's sample bubble bath in and lowered my tired body into the water, turning on the jets and relaxing as they massaged my tense muscles. I lay back, resting my head on a bath pillow, and closed my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep because the sound of the bathroom door clicking closed jarred me awake. I was suddenly very thankful that I had used the bubble bath as I found myself completely naked in a closed room with Edward; the bubbles offering much needed cover.

"What are you doing in here, you perv?" I was too tired to sound properly pissed off at the invasion.

"I just came to check on you, Isabella. I thought maybe you had met your untimely demise when you disappeared." He feigned an offended look, but I knew better.

"I seriously doubt you were concerned about my safety. You just wanted to see me naked." I closed my eyes again, and returned my head to the pillow.

"You got me, there." His voice was much closer than it had been a minute ago and I propped one eye open to see him sitting on the edge of the tub.

"What is it with you, Slutward? Don't you think it's inappropriate for you to be flirting so shamelessly with me when it's obvious that Jasper and I are together? Some friend you are." As much as I wanted to hear the answer to that question, I felt myself beginning to slip into sleep again as the heat of the water and the pressure of the jets lulled me into heaven.

"Are you together? It's not so obvious to me." I was fully awake now in the wake of his statement. "And, I'm not one to limit myself. You'll get tired of Jasper and I want you to know that you have options when you to do. Believe me, I will make you forget all about Jasper. It's just a matter of time. You should just accept it now. It'll make it a lot easier on you in the end."

"Whatever. You're a slut, that _is_ obvious and I'm not interested in sluts. If you think you're going to ever have a chance with me, you have a lot of reforming to do. I'm not into man whores, Edward. And I _am_ with Jasper, so deal." I gave him an exasperated look, hoping he would get the point. "Now, get out before I scream."

"Fine. I'll leave you alone for now, but you've been warned. I'm not giving up. I will have you in my bed eventually. Or the backseat of the Volvo, whichever you prefer." He gave me a cocky wink and turned to leave. "And I think I'd like to hear you scream."

When the door was safely closed behind him, I drained the water from the tub and sprayed my bubble clad body off with the detachable showerhead before stepping out and drying off. I pulled on the shorts and t-shirt that I slept in and went to the bed that I had shared with Alice the night before. Jasper was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me.

"I wondered where you had run off to. You okay, beautiful?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired. It's been an unusually exhausting night for me. I didn't mean to desert you."

"It's ok, Bells. I saw Edward come out of here a minute ago. What did he want?" He tried very hard to hide the annoyance that filled his expression, but I saw it briefly before he could hide it completely.

"Before I answer that, can I ask you a question?" I was hoping to get an answer to the questions that had bugged me all night.

"Sure. Ask away." A slight smile graced his features and it helped to relax me a little in the face of the discussion that was about to follow.

"What are we doing? I know we haven't given this" I motioned between me and Jasper "a title, but I feel like maybe it's time that we did. Are we just hanging out? Are we going to date? I need to know what to expect here."

"What do you want it to be? Do you want to date me, Bella?" He looked unsure of himself and it gave me a little hope.

"Yes, I do, but only if you're serious about it." I was thinking about the dance earlier and the way he so easily shared me with Edward.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be serious about you?"

"Tonight, when Edward came and danced with us, it didn't seem to bother you at all. If it was reversed, and you were pressed between me and Alice, for example, I would be insanely jealous. I don't want to share you, so I'm curious about your lack of response."

"Believe me, I was crazy jealous, but I had no claim on you. When you didn't push him away I didn't want to come across as a possessive jerk so I let it go. And I have to admit, that the end result was well worth the unpleasantness of the situation." He gave me a sexy grin and I melted a little inside.

"I'm so embarrassed about that." I felt the familiar heat flame across my skin again as I bent and buried my face in my hands. "I don't know what came over me."

"Bella, please don't be embarrassed. I wasn't kidding when I said it was the hottest thing I had ever seen. Knowing that your body had that kind of reaction to us without either of us actually touching you sexually, was by far the most exotic experience of my life. And one I wouldn't mind repeating – minus Edward, of course." He grinned at me and it was the reassurance I needed. "Now, are you going to tell me what Edward was doing in here with my _girlfriend_ while she was naked?"

I liked the way that sounded and I knew I had to be completely honest with him. "He came in to tell me that he wasn't going to give up on me until he got his chance to fuck me. He said that you and I didn't appear to be together so he didn't see a reason to refrain."

"I'll talk to him so you don't have to worry about it anymore. He's just like that, Bells. He's used to girls throwing themselves at him, so you are something of a challenge to him considering you didn't fall immediately at his feet. And Edward is nothing if not competitive. You've made this his biggest game yet." He stood quickly from the bed and leaned over to kiss me on the forehead. "Get some sleep, beautiful. I know you're tired."

I watched him leave the room, purpose in his step. As I climbed into bed, the last thing I heard before slipping into sleep was Jasper's angry voice saying, "Edward, we have to talk. Now."

* * *

Author's Note:

Please review me. You know, my muse needs the help and my ego needs stroking or I get discouraged. Pleeaassse! *big puppy eyes* Review!!!

I've not given up on this story! I want to try something new, though. Since my inspiration has dried up, I want YOU, my readers, to tell me what you want to see next. I'll take suggestions for 2 days after each new chapter (starting with this one) is posted, then I'll post a poll with the suggestions and let everybody vote for whichever one you want to see written. If I don't get votes, I'll pick the one I want to write and go with it. Hope it works, but y'all will have to give me some input!

Kudos to ange28 for starting a forum topic for my story - go there and tell me anything and everything.

http://www(dot)twilighted(dot)?f=44&t=8370&p=903883&hilit=reinventing+bella#p903883


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